US Human Rights Report faces backlash for omissions and whitewashing
The latest US State Department human rights report has come under sharp criticism for omitting key issues and downplaying abuses by allied governments. Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that these omissions not only damage US credibility but also endanger human rights defenders and weaken protections for asylum seekers.
Released on August 12, the 2025 edition of the “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” covers the year 2024. Unlike previous years, the document leaves out entire categories, such as rights abuses against women, LGBT people, persons with disabilities, corruption, and restrictions on peaceful assembly. HRW says these changes amount to political manipulation aimed at shielding governments friendly to Washington.
“Entire categories of abuses have been erased, while serious rights violations by allied governments have been papered over,” said Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch.
Controversial omissions
The report fails to address Israel’s mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, the deliberate blocking of food, water, and medicine, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure — actions widely described as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It also dismisses credible reports of torture and extrajudicial killings in El Salvador, despite US deportations to the country. In Hungary, growing authoritarian restrictions on civil society and the press are downplayed, while Russia’s politically motivated imprisonments and persecution of LGBT groups are not adequately documented.
Contradictions in US policy
While the report highlights worsening situations in Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Honduras — including arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances — the Trump administration has simultaneously moved to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for people from those very countries.
Critics say this contradiction makes the report unreliable for assessing asylum claims and may put deported individuals at risk.
A tool turned political
Since 1974, US human rights reports have been considered an important reference for Congress, academics, and international bodies. They have guided sanctions, aid, and asylum decisions, while also lending credibility to human rights defenders in repressive states.
Human Rights Watch argues that the latest report undermines that legacy. Instead of exposing abuses, it shields governments aligned with US interests.
“The State Department’s report has long supported the global human rights movement,” Yager said. “Now, it risks becoming a political tool that minimizes abuses and makes autocrats look more acceptable.”
Source: hrw.org
